WASHINGTON - Today,
President Obama nominated Manish Suresh Shah to a seat on the United
States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. If
confirmed, Shah will be the first person of South Asian descent to serve
as an Article III judge in the state of Illinois.

"We applaud Manish
Shah's historic nomination to the federal bench," said Wendy C. Shiba,
president of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
(NAPABA). "Mr. Shah has devoted his career to public service in the U.S.
Attorney's office, and his deep experience in criminal law will be an
asset to the Northern District of Illinois. We hope that the Senate
votes to confirm him swiftly."

Since 2001, Shah has
worked at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of
Illinois. Since July 2012, he has served as Chief of the Criminal
Division, and previously served as Chief of Criminal Appeals. During his
time as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, he has also worked in the General
Crimes, Narcotics & Gangs, and Public Corruption units. Shah
attended the University of Chicago Law School and Stanford University,
and went on to clerk for Judge James B. Zagel of the Northern District
of Illinois.

NAPABA commends
President Obama for nominating Mr. Shah to the bench and Senators Kirk
and Durbin of Illinois for their support of his nomination.

###

The National Asian Pacific
American Bar Association (NAPABA) is the national association of Asian
Pacific American attorneys, judges, law professors, and law students.
NAPABA represents the interests of over 40,000 attorneys and 66 state
and local Asian Pacific American bar associations. Its members include
solo practitioners, large firm lawyers, corporate counsel, legal service
and non-profit attorneys, and lawyers serving at all levels of
government. NAPABA continues to be a leader in addressing civil rights
issues confronting Asian Pacific American communities. Through its
national network of committees and affiliates, NAPABA provides a strong
voice for increased diversity of the federal and state judiciaries,
advocates for equal opportunity in the workplace, works to eliminate
hate crimes and anti-immigrant sentiment, and promotes the professional
development of people of color in the legal profession.